Braves rumors: Player pitches Ohtani on ATL, bullpen signing Cease cost

What would Dylan Cease trade cost

The Atlanta Braves appear to be very much in on starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who is available in a trade via the Chicago White Sox. Chicago needs to tear down to the studs for a rebuild, and Cease is one of the remaining attractive assets the Sox can dangle to try to get a deal done.

As we covered in a post earlier Wednesday evening, Jon Morosi has reported that a deal getting done before the Winter Meetings start on Sunday is looking increasingly possible, and the Braves were the only team Morosi specifically mentioned as in the running for him, though others are sure to be interested.

After missing out on Aaron Nola (re-signed with Phillies) and Sonny Gray (signed with Cardinals), Cease is another good option to get a quality arm in the starting rotation, a necessary area of improvement for Atlanta ahead of 2024.

What might it take to get a deal done for Cease? Here's one of three trades Southside Showdown author Todd Welter suggested the Braves could give up:

• Vaughn Grissom
• AJ Smith-Shawver
• Luis De Avila
• Isaiah Drake

Grissom figures to be an outgoing piece of whatever next big move the Braves make. His defensive struggles at shortstop have made him an untenable fixture in Atlanta with capable players in front of him.

A.J. Smith-Shawver is the team's top prospect, and a reasonable surrender for a deeply necessary trade to get someone like Cease. They essentially give up a future good arm for a known good arm today.

Otherwise, the Braves get out OK in this hypothetical payment for Cease. De Avila is their 14th-best prospect and Drake 22. They retain the rest of their farm system, and a trade like this would probably score relatively well.

At the rate things are going, it would appear a Cease trade is coming sooner rather than later. Will he be heading to the Braves?